RINDGE, N.H. (March 31, 2021) -- Junior Savannah Ernst (American Fork, Utah) went for five points on four goals and an assist on Wednesday night, while junior Morgan Baxendale (Orchard Park, N.Y.) and senior Caroline Lounsbury (Franklin, Mass.) added two goals apiece, but it would not quite be enough for the Franklin Pierce University women's lacrosse team to pull off an upset at Sodexo Field. Instead, No. 14 nationally ranked Bentley got a hat trick from senior Cara McCarthy, along with two goals from senior Julia Glavin, and the Falcons hung on for an 11-9 Northeast-10 Conference victory.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 2-1 (2-1 NE10), while Bentley improves to 3-0 (3-0 NE10).

Bentley opened the contest by scoring four of the first five goals, over a span of nearly 15 minutes, including a pair from McCarthy, but Franklin Pierce would battle back heading into the halftime break. Over the final 13 minutes of the opening period, the Ravens got two goals from Ernst as part of stretch where they scored four out of six goals and closed the deficit to 6-5 heading into halftime.

The second half played out similarly, with Bentley surging early and striking for four of the stanza's first five goals, over a stretch of just over 12 minutes. Franklin Pierce set off on the comeback trail from there. Over a span of 5:12 after the midpoint of the half, the Ravens put home three straight free-position goals, as Ernst scored twice and then Baxendale cut the lead to one, at 10-9, with 7:21 remaining.

Franklin Pierce won the ensuing draw, and each goalie made one big save over the next three-plus minutes. Bentley was ultimately the next to break through, as Glavin put away an insurance marker with 3:05 to play. The Falcons won what would be the game's final draw and, after the two teams traded turnovers, were eventually able to run out the clock on the 11-9 victory.

Defensively for Franklin Pierce, graduate student Sarah Waldrep (North Andover, Mass.) led the way with three ground balls and caused a pair of turnovers as well. Lounsbury collected a game-high five draw controls, while Ernst and junior Megyn Ayotte (Guilford, Vt.) snagged four apiece, as the Ravens used a 14-8 edge in draws to mount the upset bid.

For Bentley, sophomore Hannah Aronowitz, graduate student Eliza Bresler and senior Dana Lewandowski each collected three ground balls. Freshman Caroline Affolter nabbed a team-best three draw controls.

Bresler (2-1) made 13 saves against 22 shots on goal to pick up the win in the crease for Bentley. Sophomore Erin Blake (Southborough, Mass.) made a career-high eight saves against 19 shots at the other end, but suffered the loss (1-1) for Franklin Pierce.

The Ravens are scheduled to return to action on Saturday, April 3, when they travel to Southern New Hampshire for an 11 a.m. start.